Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school. The school is good rather than outstanding because : although pupils achieve well and teaching is invariably of good quality, it is not yet sufficiently strong to promote consistently outstanding progress in learning.

Pupils make good progress so that attainment at the end of Year 6 is above average in writing and mathematics and high in reading. Previously, a much smaller proportion of pupils achieved the higher level in writing than in reading. However, this has been successfully addressed and the gap closed but there is still room for improving pupils' handwriting.

Staff ensure that pupils of all abilities are successfully catered for and they ensure that activities a...re well planned and engaging. All teaching is of good quality. Teachers create a positive and inclusive atmosphere and they ensure that work is matched well to the different age groups present in each class.

Pupils say that they enjoy learning because : teachers make lessons fun, and activities capture their interest well, although on occasions there is too much teacher talk. In addition, although assessments are used well to plan work, when marking, teachers do not give sufficient guidance for next steps in learning. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding.

They know and respect the rules and understand the impact of their actions on others. They feel exceptionally safe because they know that the staff care for them. The impact of leadership and management is good.

There are outstanding qualities to senior leadership. Close attention is given to monitoring teaching and tracking pupils' progress. This, in conjunction with the effective procedures for the management of performance, ensures that professional development is targeted well.

Well-founded improvement projects have shown positive impact on achievement. Parents and carers are almost unanimous in their support and the school's partnership with them is outstanding.

Information about the school

Chudleigh Knighton is a much smaller than average-sized primary and part of a federation of five schools within Devon.

There is one governing body and executive headteacher for the federation and each school has a head of teaching and learning. The school converted to academy status in November 2011 as part of a multi- academy trust. Almost all pupils are from a White British heritage and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average.

The proportion with disabilities or special educational needs is average. The school meets the current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The school has four mixed-age classes.

Children in the Reception Year share a class with Year 1 pupils. There is a further class for Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6. The school has achieved the Healthy School and International School awards.